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Bulletin No. 69 March fl 1923. 


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COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA 


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DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS 
James F, Woodward, Secretary 


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BUREAU OF TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
George H. Ashley, State Geologist. 








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LEAD AND ZINC ORES IN BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 
By 


Benjamin LeRoy Miller, 


Location. 


Lead and Zine ore are not being mined in Pennsylvania at present, 
although they have been procuced successfully in several places in the 
past, There are reasons for believing that some of the deposits have 
not been exhausted, and now, when three recently organized companics 
are seeking capital to re-open some of the old mines, seems an 
opportune occasion to assemble the available information regarding 
these deposits, 


In Bueks County, lead and zine minerals have been found in the 
Triassic shales over 4 considerable area west and northwest of 
Doylestown, which is 25 miles north of Philadelphia. Considerable 
mining has been done‘in the vicinity of New Galena on the North Branch 
of Neshaminy Creck, three miles northwest of Doylestown, 


History. 


It has not been possible to secure a satisfactory history of the 
New Galena mine as there is much disagreement in statements. The 
following account, bascd on newspaper articles, a report by John 
Annear who styles himself a "practical metallic miner," and recolicc- 
tions of present residents of the region, is offered with some 
misgivings although in the main it is probably correct. Some of the 
information emanated from persons who were interested in having 
favorable reports of the minc circulated and these circumstances may 
have colorcd their statements, making them unduly optimistic. 





fhe story is told that when Washington's army was stationed at 
Valley Forge some lead for bullets was obtained from these deposits 
but the writer has failed to find any verification of this report and 
is not inclined to accept it. 


It is said that prior to 1856, residents of the region in digging 
wells occasionally found pieces of a hard, black material which was 
Supposed to be coal but would not burn. A piece washed from the 
embankment of a mill race in 1856 was tested and found to be galena. 
The following year two Doylestown men dug out about thirty pounds of 
the ore but did no further prospecting. In 1860 two men in digging 
post holes encountered a large block of lead ore which excited their 
curiosity because of its weight and the sparkling appearance of a 
freshly broken surface, They are said to have crudely smelted it in 
a neighboring blacksmith shop and obtained lead, ‘The story caused 
some excitement in the neighborhood and shortly after a Mr. Dickinson 
from Philadelphia visited the locality and secured an option on the 
Wetherill property where the ore had been discovered, Failing to find 
ore in paying quantities he surrendered the property. 


On‘April 1, 1861, Jacob and George Neimeyer bought the property 
for $21,000 ana began an active search for ore. They found several 
veins but unfortunately encountered so much water that they could not 
continue to work the mine profitably, They engaged John Annear to 
mae a report on the property and to assist them in finding a buyer, 
The following statements are abstracted from this report. 


“The mining operations consist principally of a large "Gauphin" 
or longitudinal opening on the course of one of the veins, extending 
from the cross road 256 feet northeast, and varying in depth from 
twenty to fourty-four feet from the surface, The south-western breast 
and along the bottom frém that point, to within a few feet of the 
engine shaft, the Lode avernges about two feet in width, rich in Lead, 
with Some Sulphuret of ‘Zinc, and rich speciméns of red and black 
Oy .de of Copper, which, if wrought on regular mining principles, would 
yield a handsome profit. 


"In the Engine Shaft, which is being sunk some twenty feet, east 
of the Lode; to intersect it lower down, there is a’branch of very 
rich Galena, four inches wide, evidently a "Dropper," and will 
doubtless enrich the Lode at the point of intersection, In the 
immediate vicinity of this shaft, the Lode is disordered by a "Slide," 
which passes through it at this place, About fifty-three feet north 
west of the shaft, the Lode has been followed down to the depth of 
fourty-four feet, (the water being kept out by a three inch branch 
pump, The length of this working is about seventy feet on the course 
of the lode, and the bottom of which is under the "Slide." ‘This part 
of the ifine presents the richest course of ore yet discovered on the 
property.’ Hor about thirty-five feet in length, the Lode is three 
feet wice, very rich in hard, compact Galena, with every appearance of 
lengthening in going down. At this point a crosscut is commenced to 
intersect the "Dickeson Vein," which appears to run parallel at a 
distance of about thirty-five feet, which is reported to be eighteen 
inches wide, of good Galena, at the bottom of the shaft, sunk by 


Professor M, W., Dickeson, to the depth of thirty-eight feet from the 
surface, near the cross road, 


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"The Lode on which the present proprietors, Messrs. Js and G. 
Neimeyer are working, runs nearly north-east by south-west, and has .° 
been opened at places almost the entire length of their property. At 
the distance of 453 feet southwest of the main working, a trial shaft 
has been sunk on the Lode, where it is two feet wide, of rich ore. 
this shaft is being cleaned out for further operations. 


"The Lode where openeé has regularly defined "walls," and uncer- 
lies east about two feet in the fathom, when "Gangue" apoears. It is 
composed chiefly of Quartz, Calcareous Spar, with Conglomerate, . 
containing Shales, etc, The surrounding strata are composed of various 
colored slates and shales, interlaced with strings of Quartz, most of 
‘which contain more or less of Galena, showing it to be a highly 
metaliferous channel of ground. ‘The strata at the west, or "Foot Wali" 
of the Lode, does not differ much in character from that at a distance 
from it; but on’the east or "Hanging Wall" it is of a much softer and 
kindlier nature, being of a light buff color, resembling’the white 
killas of Cornwall, and easily wrought with pick and gad, , being wide 
enough for "Resueing" the Lode; materially diminishing the expense of 
mining. The three other Lodes, as far as I could judge, seemed to 
exhibit the same characteristics, and will no doubt prove good courses 
of ore when explored. 


"Messrs. J. & G, Neimeyer have already shipped to market and sold 
one hundred and six tons of ore, yielding seventy-five per cent. of 
Lead, and eleven ounces of Silver, to the ton. They have now at the 
surface in various stages of preparation for the-furnace, as near as 


can be estimated, eighty tons of similar quality, and are daily adding 
to that amount." \ 


Knowing nothing of the trustworthiness and professional ability 
of Mr. Annear one cannot determine whether the favorable report was 
based on facts or was prepared for the purpose of effecting a sale. 

It evidently accomplished the latter purpose as the property seems to 
have been sold by the Neimeyers to a New York company for $75,000. 

This company apparently did little work other than to sell considerable 
stock, said to have amounted to $105,000, 


“General statements to the effect that the mine was operated after 
this, especially in 1888 and 1891, are vague and reports are conflict- 
ing. In 1894 a man named Cowan started work at the mine but evidently 
accomplished little. In 1904 some prospecting was started on a near-by 
farm. In fact a great deal of prospecting has been done throughout 
the region and although galena and sphalerite have been found the 
results have not been encouraging except in the one locality along the 
North Branch of Neshaminy Creek. 


In 1921 the Guerden Glen Lead Mining Company acquired the property 
but, up to March 1923, has done no regular mining, only surface 
development, working over the old dumps. The comvany proposes to 
unwater the mine and determine now much if anv ore remains in the 
underground workings, Considerable unproductive expense must be 
incurred for reopening the mine before any ore can be raised, 


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Occurrence and Character of the Ore. 


“The country roc: of the region consists of dark colored Triassic 
Shales that have been intruded by igneous dixes or sills of diabase, 
commonly callec "trap rock." A sill is exposed in the vicinity of 
the mine and from specimens on the old dumps, as well as from hearsay 
information, the underground workings cut through some diabase. One 


Statement is to the effect that the ore lies under a sheet of the 
igneous rock, 


he ore seems to be confined to shattered zones that probably 

have a rather definite trend, according to all descriptions available. 
Within the zone of fractured rock the ore occurs as small veins filling 
former open fissures, as the cementing material in brécciated shale, 
and as cdisseminations and probable displacements of the shale. The 
galena and syhalerite are associated with much quartz, and numerous 
small cavities are lined with cruses of fine duartz crystals. The 

roc containing the ore minerals is either black or gray shale. ‘The 
gray taterial closely resembles limestone in general appearance and 
seems to have been mista’zen for limestone, 


Some unusually fine specimens of galena ané sphalerite ore have 
come irom the New Galena mines. According to report a block of ore 
= . ag ls oe a ‘ 2 
weigning 1,000 pounds was once foundi 


: the -following-minerals have been reported from the mines: quartz; 
cOlomite, ankerite, calcite, galena; sphalerite, pyrite, chelcopyrite, 
and bornite. Galena has yielded 10 to 15 ounces of silver and 10 cents 
in gold per ton. 


Conclusion, 


So scanty is the available information regarding the operations, 
the thickness, number, and extent of the lodes, the character of the 
ore in the lodes and their richness, and many statements have been so 
conflicting and highly incredible that one is forced to be careful in 
either praising or condemning the proverty. Handling the water with 
improved pumps would not be as serious a matter as it was Sixty years 
ago, and if there is the showing of ore underground that has been 
Claizud it may be possible to operate a mine successfully. The writer 
would be inclined to encourage the judicious expenditure of a moderats 
sum of money under expert supervision to determine the real character 


of the ore bodies, but such expenditure should be regarded as a 
hazardous venture, 


Bibliography, 


Annear, John, Report of the New Britain Lead Mine, Bucks County, 
Pennsylvania, 6 pages, Philadelphia, 1862. 


lyman, Benj. J., New Red of Bucks and Montgomery Counties: Pennsylvania 


Second Geol, Survey, Summary Final REPOLU VObe Oo, Dts kh, Deo cOod, 
1895: 


? ‘ 


Daily Democrat, Doylestown, Pa, June 6 and July 5, 1921. 
Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, June 6, 1921. 


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